Method of making thin rubber films



M. A. CHAVANNES 2,439,157

METHOD OF MAKING THIN RUBBER FILMS April 6, 1948.

Filed Oct. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR o MARC A. cm W/Y/VFS' r E 4! ATTOHNE;

M. A. CHAVANNES. 2,439,157

METHOD OF MAKING THIN RUBBER FILMS April 6, 1948.

Filed 001;. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIII! IN VENT OR lVA/PC A. CHAVA/V/VES v MATTOR EY- Patented Apr. 6, 1948 Mess-Honor 'rmmmnnsnmms vMarc i e flhevannes. (lie mlthzfi itz r m assignor to American Ecla ,Del.,v a corporation of Del-aw lje denkmtiqei 125M 13 ApplicatiomOctnharA, 1941,:iSQtiZYNOJ413-5fi5 'cla m a 151 Th i ntiq rr ate t an impn re method -m ine h mm b zfilm e anorelch aeter- :In a r c W t th pr sen i-nrentiqea wate em ri .-;ma b :PIQd Q vwhich .a h

precisely thesame feel and appearance as ordiew no rrr e mimic an n stifieraed of n n i e b gre te wei ht T ward this end, I have nem warin'whmhare r thin rubber film may be produced rand this, when app p mcorn ate ,q wee leaiz :Q

ordinary woven "fabrics or-between awoven nd a knit fabric or the -,li l;e,-gis "capable or -positively preventing the passagepf water through the; fabric, and is capable of;withstandin g the torce gt a heavy down pour of raintas -well asthehardest usage encountered in ordinary awea-r. Moreover, in accordance ,w-ith the invention, the rubber film may be @erforated to provide a series of extremelysmall openin s which will permit the passage of: air through theiabric, but atthe sametime-will prevent efiectively the r-pass age of water. even in the heaviest. rainfall. 'I-hisrnay be designated fmicro; porosity.

In the. production of. the improved rabric it is important-toform a. rubber film r the like of substantially .uni'form rthickness throughout its area and sothin that it adds little weight 1.120 the composite fabric ;of which it forms a -part. I have discovered that self pstainin Jubber having a thickness pf as littleas :00025 of an inch and weighing po -more than fi grams per sq. inch can be produced of a;.-substantial ly uniform thickness :and 01" .a qsufiicient tensile strengthtorenable handling .01 treatment in the manner to .be explainecLand when o nce;coinbined withand supported by {base fabrics, atsleast er e ofwwhich @is woven, they are readily able to thstand the -'forces;to which they ngay be sub- Jected in u th finis ed fabrics.

In theimproyed water-proof fabric the rubber film may ;be -;,of lea, thickness zbetween ,.00025 and .001 of an inchand reasonably soft and pliable fabrics may be :produced withufilms lup to 50015 of an inohiin thickness.

Films of the character.contemplated 1 by the present invention cannotbe produced by coating or spraying on -the fabrics themselves ,but only by spraying-the colloidal dispersion, such as -a-latex dispersion, on ;a flat land smooth surface, similar to the surface of a sheet of glass, frem which thefilm may subsequently be stripped or slipped off and ithen adhesivelyunitedwith suitable base fabrics.

1 av sc ve e tha int n t duqtipn f e content of the fine drpplets r gheyagorate substantially during orecomingincontact on which the {film is ,rtant that when the ace, the shall s e d .1 i .1 i ii f l 2. s en'a he latex trikes. .and,spreads ,qn te Niecetb -wzate le mes of the disper ion mgust evaporate bei'ore the dispers i0n has ,had an opportunity-to j H H hem re nep th 2 me sa e-thet- I isi cni ve b appropriateli regulating fthe ,size of the droplets, which sh ul "b v small Hee lb quan Pl n .I th l ie e ion in t l s ia sb rr vt fe t wv ftb g ate rheeil e eh thesm rwillih 1 5 1 91 3 "etet a t be su s aetia .;li i1 ;ee "th bse n r ra irle iweul rre t 1 212 n y i e p .Q r b in teadp rea 'mvihfllm- I il ffil fl es .qeeditivn h i c v e tha the .f re eiem 51mm Prefera l be s e b fal act ,r i' l ..'lQW Pre s yt e f ls n n a. lebe jin th .;d $ne .s S i/ 1 91:: e see em 9% "tha L t em a ur 'Qiit lsuri en whisbgt efd erer i s ra Shaune aee rbqutfifl L I l h stemse t rei i'the swfieeat rea e he vy ater 'content of the dispercreated-will "be bun ip'y and porous. It 'is imporleas WPWFFIPE' P snl i ilwii aw t m atu w 11i re a iv l .ne r flim wa it shq l m t Z V g M as" tocrea te a porous "and drregn lrn. sjofalso thespray eaqhine. b .emset r ia. e:may t d if th semrsresex leleee n w f ea 1 face. The distance selected etween the guns en tbe surr eederen r b r -nrb l e u of"latexjtofpespreyed.""Forfithe formation of form film cannot be formed bya fewer number of layers or coatings. l M

Another important feature of the invention is the constitution of the dispersion in" such a way that the film formed on the smooth surface will not adhere to it too strongly so that the film may be stripped off at a commercially practicable,

speed without tearing it. For this purpose, a

dispersion .of a relatively pure rubber should be used, containing not more than 25% of any material having greater adhesivity for the material of which the surface to ,be sprayed is formed than does the. rubber itself. However, if the character. of 'the forming surface and of the latex and the filler are appropriately selected, as by providing a surface that is particularly non-adhesive to the selected filler, as well as to the latex, a higher percentage of filler may be employed. .Anymaterial diminishing too much the tensile'strength of the film of rubber has also to be eliminated. The surface itself should be formed of a material having the least possible adhesivity to the rubber and one that is not altered by the relatively high temperature necessitated for the removal of the water content of the dispersion to form the film.

For certain purposes, it may be desirable to form the film of a latex of one composition at one surface and ofanother composition at the other surface. This will enable the film to be united with only a single woven fabric, for example. One surface of the film, formedby the first coatings of latex sprayed upon the. smooth surface, may be of a substantially pure rubber of the type hereinbefore mentioned. The other surface may contain substantial quantities of filler, while the intermediate portions of the film may vary suitably between the two extremes. This will provide the necessary film strength and ease of stripping of the film and at the same time will provide a smooth, outer surface containing a high percentage of fillers which impart wear and age resistance and'a, more pleasing feel than the pure rubber. The improved process lends itself readily to the production of this new type of film.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from a detailed description of certain illustrative forms of the same which will now be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematicview showing, in elevation, apparatus suitable for the production of the improved, thin rubber film.

Fig. 2 is aplan view of a shiftable spray nozzle assembly used in theproduction of the film.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail. showing a section of a conveyor chain and belt employed in the unit of Fig. 1. j V

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailshowing in end elevation a perforating'roll used in the unit of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a greatly magnified section through a portion of the material at the nip of the perforating roller as indicated by the arrow at 1 in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the rubber film is preferably formed by spraying the latex dispersion orthe like by means of nozzles [0 directly onto a belt H which is carried by a pair of parallel conveyor chains l2. Its edges may suitably be attached to pins or needles [2a projecting from the supporting surfaces of the chains. The belt is formed preferably of a fabric Ila. having asmooth coating ill) of pyroxylin varnish or the like applied to the surface which is .sprayed.

As mentioned before, it is important that it should be substantially as smooth as glass and of a character that is poorly adhesive to latex and to any filler that may be present in the latex dispersion employed. At the same time, the surface should preferably be of a flexible orpliable nature so that it may be applied to a flexible belt and permitted to bend without cracking and without permanent deformation in moving along a tortuous path of the character indicated. It should be capable of withstanding a temperature of at least 200 F. A pyroxylin-coated belt has been found particularly desirable.

The spray nozzles l0 may be arranged across the width Olf the belt and so positioned and constructed as to direct a substantially uniform spray across the belt. A-certain overlapping may ocour, for this purpose, between the fans in the area sprayed by the several nozzles where the fans combine or intermix. For example, about a, quarter of the width of the surface reached by one nozzle may overlap with about a quarter of the width of the surface reached by the next adjacent nozzle. However, due to the difiiculty of producing a uniform operation of the nozzles and particularly a uniform distribution of the spray across the belt, the nozzles are preferably mounted to shift laterally in relation to the belt. The shifting is preferably step-by-step as the'successive coatings are applied to the surface of the belt. It may be effected either automatically or manually. As shown in Fig. 2, the series of spray guns or nozzles I0 may be mounted on a bar l3 slidable on pulleys I4 and held thereon by guides [4a. A handle l5 may be provided for shifting the bar and a fixed pointer l6 cooperating with a suitable scale I! on the bar may indicate its various positions.

The latex dispersion, or the like, may be supplied to the several nozzles from a suitable supply line I8 connected with each nozzle by means of a flexible hose l9. Air under pressure for creating the desired spray may similarly be supplied from a suitable source through a line 20 connected by a flexible hose 2| with each nozzle. The lattermay be of any suitable construction.

In Fig. 1 there is schematically indicated a desirable arrangement of the conveyor chains and belt. The chains are passed around suitable sprocket wheels 22 appropriately located to sup-- port and properly direct the various courses of the chains. One or more of the sprocket wheels, such as that mounted on the shaft 23 (Figs. 1 and 3) is driven by connections (not shown) Withany suitable source of power so that the chains and belt may be moved continuously at any desired speed. Any desired number of the sprockets may have rollers 24 associated therewith, extending between the chains, so as to-lend support to the belt across its width. After receiving each coating at the spray guns. thebelt is formed into a seriesqf loops 25 forming a drying section. Here the coated surface is subjected tothe drying action of a series of jets of warm air which may be directed into the pockets formedbet-weenthe loops from pipes or ducts 26. Uponleaving thedrying section thebelt traverses a horizontal" loop 21, which extends rearwardl-y some distance beyond the drying loops, and it is then carried throughthe same cycle to receive the second and" succeeding coatings. A housing 28 of appropriate shape and construction may surround and enclosethe spraying and drying sectionsand is providedwithan-open ing 29 through which the loop Z'lextends Ducts or fiues3l1 communicating with the interior of the housing at suitable points and connected with draft-producing means,not shown, may serve to provide a desired circulation. of the atmosphere Within the chamber and to removethe. air after ithas taken up. a proper amount of the moisture from the drying section.

Itis important in. the operation of the spraying and drying equipment to. sozregulate the various operating conditionsthat. each of the successive coatings is substantially dry. before the next coating is. applied. This is made possible, with out raising the temperature of the dryer over about 170 E, so as nottooreatel a porous. film,

by applying onlyan extremelythin coating upon each passage of the belt. through its cycle. The

importance of attaining a desired; dryness for.

each layer of the is illustrated by the. fact that if the dryer is operatedht a temperature somewhat :lower than required, the latex will run and if the film is not thoroughly dry, it will remain weak anditwi'll not be possible, in a commercial operation, to strip. the thin film from the belt, in themannerto be explained, without substantially destroying the same. On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, the drying will be too rapid and asporousfilm, rather than a smooth, continuous one, will result. The film, as finally produced, should be of suchdryness that when stored undernormal atmospheric conditions, it has a tendency to. increase in weight through the. acquisition. ofmoisture.

A typical example of'anoperation of a commercial unitin accordance with the invention is as follows: i

The unit was equipped with a belt: formed of a satin stitch fabric of suitable weight to supportthe-load. Onesuriaceof' this=belt was coated with a heat-resistant, elastic,,pyroxylin coating. Thisimparted to the surfaceof the-belt a smoothness almost equivalent to that of glass and yet one capable ofbeingbentaround curves of. relatively small radius withoutcracklng. or permae nently deforming. The over-all length of the. belt was 120 yards, the beltbeing attached to the spikes of aconveyor chain, as previously explained, to form a series-of loopsof the. characterindicated in Fig. I. Ineffect, an. endless belt was thus; produced capable of being traversed continuously along the path: shown. A series of six spray guns was mounted upon: the supporting bar [2, thesebeing spaced- 9 and inches apart. Each gun was of the DeVllbiss type WV-176 equipped with a nozzlesfor around sprayNo. 76. The gunswere mountedwith their discharge nozzles at a distance of 13 inches from the surface of the belt.

In the operation of the unit, air'u-nder a pressure of 4.41 lbs. persquare; inch and latex under a pressure of" 4.5 lbs. persquare" inch was supplied to the guns. A variation in each of these pressures of about either way ispermissible without interfering seriously with the results, but. wide variations from the pressures indicated. will cycle. To build upa; rubber filmhaving a thickspaced intervals;

ness of .00025 of an inch, weighing about 6 grams per square yard, eachportion of the belt was passed beneath the guns 20 times. Eachof the twenty runs of the belt was commenced as a given point passed'beneath the guns and. terminated as an adjacent but slightly spaced point The latex dispersion em-' reaches the guns. ployed contained only 10% rubbery After each run of the belt, thebar 13 supporting the guns was shifted to a new position. After the first run, the guns were shifted to a position i and 1% inches to the left, of their original position. This placed the overlapping portions of the spray fans produced bythe guns exactlyin" the middleof the positions of these overlaps onthe first run. For the succeeding coats the bar was shifted alternately to one side and then the other of theposition: assumed for the second run by suitable increments so as to place the centers of the overlapping portions of the spray fans successivelyalong'difi'erent l-lnesof the-belt at equally This, the course of the 2G coatings applied to the belt, provided a substan tially uniform thicl'mess' of" the filmoflatex across the entire width; The variationinthickness at no point exceeded 10% from the average. 1

The latex employed in the foregoing operation contained not morethan 20% mineralfillers based upon the weight or the rubber itself. Upon the formation of each coating, the water content of the dispersion was driven off in the drier sectionfof theunit before the succeeding-coating was applied. For this purpose, the drier was maintained at a temperature ofabout 170 F.

While it is preferable to use a latex dispersion having a solids content of between 10 and 20% in the spraying of the succesive coats, this may, if desired, be increased to asmuchas 25% and it may be reduced as far below 10% as desired,

so long as the quantity sprayed for each coat is not so great as to cause the coating to run. Of course it would be commercially uneconomical to employa dispersion having much less than 10% solids due to the expense of evaporating the moisture content. The quantity of rubber applied to the belt upon each passage may be varied between about 0.3 gram and 3.0 grams per square yard, depending upon the thickness of the desired film and the number ofcoats used to form it. Best results are obtained whena relatively-large number of coats are used in building up a film, say between 10 and 2001 even more. The spray pro- 1 duced by the spray guns should berelativelyfine and yet not too fine so as to cause the deposit of a fine dust on the surface of the belt. Preferably the droplets forming the spray should be of just sufficient size to spread out in a" very thin film over the surface being sprayed, so as to-form a continuous coat on each passageofthe belt without any danger of running before it is dried in the manner explained.

Aftera film of the desired thickness has been formed in the manner explained, it is stripped from the belt in the following manner: The edge of the film at its beginningis first worked loose from the smoothsurface. by the fingers of the operator and when a sufficient section has been thus loosened to enable the film to be properly grasped, a suitable length of a yard or more is stripped by hand from the belt. The free end of this section is then attached to the surface of a roller 3| and the latter rotated to apply a suitable tension to the film suflicient to stretch it between 50 and 100% of its original length. The turning of the roller 3! may be effected either by hand or by suitable connection with a motor or the like. As indicated schematically in Fig. l, the supporting trunnion 32 of the roller may simply be provided with a crank 33 for manual rotation of the roller. It will be understood that in order to stretch all portions of the film to the extent indicated, as it is stripped from the belt, the roller 3i will need to be turned at a correspondingly greater peripheral speed than the linear speed of the belt. To prevent the successive turns of the film from sticking together as they are wound upon the roller 3|, a web of paper 34 is introduced between the successive turns. This paper may be supplied from a roll 35 from which it may be drawn as the roller is turned. The end of the web may be attached to the roller 3| by inserting it between the first turn of the rubber film and the surface of the roller. The surface of the roller 3| and also that of the paper web 34 should be such as to provide substantial friction against the surface of the rubber filmas the latter is wound on the roller under tension. The friction should be sufficient to retain the film in its stretched condition and pre-' vent the turns or layers from slipping or creeping.

If it is desired to perforate the rubber film, this is preferably accomplished before the film is combined with the cloth, although it may, if desired, be done after the film and cloth have been combined. In either case, it may be done by a roller 36 provided with a series of fine needles 31. These needles, having a sharp pointed end, may be embedded in acopper cylinder 36a so that only the extreme point of the needle projects beyond the surface of the cylinder. The needles are preferably forced through holes in the cylinder from the inside until their sharp tip ends protrude. The base portions of the needles may then be supported by a mandrel 361), formed of steel or the like, inserted within the cylinder. To get the smallest perforation possible, only the points of the needles must perforate the film, which is designated 360 in Fig. 6, and it is because of the very thinness of this film that the perforation being made by the sharpest point of, the needle is of the microscopic size needed to allow the passage of air without allowing the passage of the water even in case of a heavy or severe rainfall. For this purpose the holes should be of an area between .001 and .01 square millimeter, which will necessitate a substantial pressure, i. e., sufiicient to overcome the surface tension of water, in order to force it through. The number of perforating needles employed may vary with the character of the final product desired. In a typical unit, there may be some 100 needles per square inch of the surface of the cylinder.

To avoid the splitting of the film or the increase in the size of the holes, it has been found that the perforation of the film should prefer- .ably take place at a point where the latter is fully supported and where'the tension in the film is offset by the friction forces previously mentioned. Thus, it has been found desirable to place the roller 36 at such a'point in relation to the 8 roller 3| that a substantial section of the film is wrapped around this roller in advance of the point where the perforation takes place. Any suitable means may be provided for supporting the perforating roller and urging it under a desired pressure against thefilm. For this purpose,

its trunnions 38 which may be extensions of the mandrel 3627, may be journaled in thear ms of a frame 39 pivoted at 40 on a suitable fixed support. An adjustable weight of springs'may be appropriately applied to the arm 39 to provide additional pressure, if desired, but the weight of the roller 36, which need be only about two inches in diameter, is suflicient to perforate the fine films contemplated, Moreoven it is advantageous to have the pressure sufficient only to force the needles through the film and not through the paper 34, as illustrated. in Figure 6,,thus insuring the perforation of the film by only the extreme tips of the needles.

An advantage of winding the rubber film upon the roller 3| under tension sufficient, say, to stretch the film about is that the perforations in the film upon subsequent release of tension will become correspondingly smaller than when originally made. Thus; a hole of, say, microns in diameter as originally formed will become substantially. smaller in diameter upon release of the tension in the film. This is due not only to the contraction of; the film as a whole, which would naturally produce a corresponding reduction in the size of any hole through it but it is due, also, and to a greaterextent, to the tendency of a rubber film toclose up any holes formed in it whenever tension is released or diminished. The elastic forces in the rubber have a strong tendency to close up the opening. 0rdinarily, it would be desirable to maintain the film under partial tension when it is combined with the knit or woven fabrics, in the manner to be explained. However, this .tension may, be substantially less than that, under which the film is wound upon the roller 3|.

By incorporating the film under tension in the composite fabric, its thickness is also reduced. For example, a film which is tensioned to increase its length 50% over its original condition at the time itis combined with apair of woven fabrics will be about one-third thinner than the original, untensioned film. 1

For certain purposes it may be desired to combine the rubber film'with only one base fabric. In such cases it is desirable to provide the rubber film with a surface on its exposed side which has good wearing qualities, is not tacky, and does not have an objectionable feel. This may be accomplished by introducing a greater quantity of a suitable filler adjacent that surface of the rubber to be exposed. At the same time it is important, in the production and use of the extremely thinfilms contemplated by the present invention, to form a portion of the cross section of the film of relatively pure rubber. An improved product of this character, having good wear resistance and a pleasant feel atone surface and having a portion of greater tensile strength adjacent the other surface, may readily'be produced in accordance with the present invention. Thus, different latex dispersions may 'be employed in, spraying'thesuccessive coatings upon the smooth surface of the belt. The first coating, or number of coatings, may be of a substantially pure latex having not over 20% total fillers. The finalcoats, on the other hand, may contain as much as 200 %;o fthe fillers, ba'sed'on the rubber present in the dispersion. It has been found, however, that a gradual transition between the substantially pure latex and the highly filled latex is desirable in the successive coatings. If an abrupt transition occurs from ::a series of coats of relatively pure latex to a series of coats of latex having a high filler content, the resulting film will be weak and will not withstand any substantial stretching, :such as required to strip it from the smooth surface on which it is formed.

In order to provide the desired tensile strength, a film of the dual surface type described will ordinarily need to be somewhat thicker than a film formed completely of the relatively pure latex. However, dual surface films not exceeding 50005 of an inch may readily be produced in accordance with the invention and stripped from the surface of the smooth belt for combination with a fabric. In forming such a film through the spraying of a large number of light coatings, say twenty in all, it is best to employ relatively pure latex, having not more than 20% fillers based on the rubber content of the dispersion, for the first two coats. A dispersion having 30% fillers, on the same basis, may be used for the third and fourth coats, a dispersion having 40% fillers may be used for the fifth and sixth coats, a dispersion having 50% fillers maybe used for the seventh and eighth coats, 75% fillers for the ninth and.

tenth coats, 100% fillers for the eleventh and twelfth coats, 125% fillers for the thirteenth and fourteenth coats, 150% fillersfor the fifteenth and sixteenth coats, 175% fillers for the seventeenth and eighteenth coats, and 200% fillers for the nineteenth and twentieth coats.

In assembling a dual surface film of the type described with a single base fabric, a second fabric is preferably run through the combining rolls to protect the outer surface of the film. This second fabric, however, will not be sprayed with latex and will, therefore, not adhere to the rubber film. It may readily be separated after the combined fabric and film have passed through the combining rolls and calender rolls. In lieu of a second fabric for the protection of the outer surface of the film, any other flexible material, such as a web of paper, may be employed. If desired, the surface of this protecting layer, which is forced against the outer surface of the film, may carry a suitable design, which may then be impressed into the outer surface of the film.

While certain preferred forms of the improved products of the present invention and preferred methods of producing the same have been described in considerable detail, it will be understood that numerous changes and variations may be made in both the product and method without departing from the general principles and scope of the invention. As indicated hereinabove, the invention is especially directed to the production of thin films of rubber and the incorporation of such films. in multi-ply fabrics but it is adapted also to the production of similar films and fabrics in which the natural rubber latex is replaced by an aqueous dispersion of crude or reclaimed rubber or synthetic rubber latices and related substances.

A divisional application, Serial No. 729,352 has been filed on February 18, 1947, to cover the novel products, i. the thin rubber films and the composite fabrics disclosed herein.

I claim: i

1. A method of making extremely thin impervious rubber films which comprises spraying a plurality of successive coatings of rubber latex uniformly upon thevsurface of a smooth belt to which the latex adhresion y lightly, the latex and being applied inJan amount which is not so great as to cause the coating to run, substantially drying each coating before the application of the next, continuing said successive coatings until a film of desired. thickness between 100025 and .0015 is formed and then'stripping said film from the belt.

2. A method of making "extremely thin impervious rubber films which comprises spraying a plurality of successive coatings: of rubber latex upon the surf-ace of the sr'nooth belt to which the latex adheres only lightly; the latex so sprayed being of a concentration 'ofless than 25% but not substantially less than 10% is'olids and being applied in an amount which. is' not so great as to cause the coating'to run, 'slnftingth-e spraying means transversely of the belt in the course of forming thesuccessive coatings to effect a. more uniform distribution of the. latex, substantially drying each coating before the: application er the next, continuing said successive coatings until a film of desired thicknessbetween .00025 and .0015 is formed, and then stripping said film from the belt. a

3. A method of making extremely thin impervious rubber film's w'hich comprises spraying a plurality of successive coatings of rubber latex uniformlyupon the surface of a smooth belt to which the latex adheres only lightly; the latex so sprayed e being of a c'once'ntration or. less than 25% but not substantially less than 10% solids and being-applied inan amount which is not so great as to cause the coating to run, substantially drying: each-coating before the application of the next, continuing 1 said successive coatings until -a film. ofades'ired thickness between .00025 and .0015 is romeo and then stripping said film from the belt, the surface ofsai'd belt and the compo-- sition of said latex bearing such a relation to each other that the tensile strength of said film greatly exceeds the force required to strip it from i the belt and the film is not stretched more than in the course of stripping it from the belt.

4. A method of making extremely thin impervious rubber films which comprises spraying a plurality of successive coatings of rubber latex uniformly upon the surface of a smooth belt o which the latex adheres only lightly, the latex o sprayed being of a concentration of less than 25% but not substantially less than 10% solids and being applied in an amount which is not so great as to cause the coating to run, said solids comprising not more than 25% of fillers and impurities, substantially drying each coating before the application of the next, continuing said successive coatings until a film of desired thickness between .00025 and .0015 is formed and then stripping said film from the belt, the surface of said belt being such that the force required to strip the film therefrom will not stretch the film more than 100%.

5. A method of producing a thin rubber film having different filler contents adjacent its two surfaces which comprises spraying a plurality of coats of a latex dispersion of low concentration, drying each coat before the application of the next, and varying the filler content of the successive coats gradually from a relatively pure latex to a highly filled latex.

6. A method of producing a thin rubber film having different filler contents adjacent its two .11 surf ces which comprises spraying a plurality of mo e than ten coats of a latex dispersion of low concentration, drying each coat before the application of the next, using a latex dispersion having not more than 25% fillers based on the rubber content for'the first coat, and using latex dispersions of gradually increasing filler contents for the succeeding .coats, the last coat havin more than 100% fillers based upon the rubbercontent of the dispersion.

7. A method of producing an extremely thin impervious rubber .film which comprises spraying a lurality of coats of a latex dispersion of a concentration of less than 25% but not substantially less than solids but 'sufllclent to avoid running upon a smooth surface for which the latex has little adhesion, regulating the quantity of latex applied in each coat, the concentration of the latex and the distance through which the latex is sprayed so as to insure a suffi- ,cient moisture content to cause the latex to spread freely over the surface without objectionablerunning, and drylngeach coat'at such a rate that the latex will not run but more slowly than to cause such rapid evaporation of the water as to produceran'irregular or porous coat.

8. A methodof producing an extremely thin impervious rubber film which comprises spraying a plurality of coats of ,a latex dispersion of a concentration of lessthan 25% but not substantially less than 10% solids but sufficient to avoid running upon a smooth surface for which the latex has little adhesion, regulating the supply of latex so as to apply not more than about 3 grams of rubber per square yard of the surface for each coat, the spray having its droplets sufliciently, small to prevent running as they strike the smooth surface, the spray passing through a distance of not more than inches before reaching the surface, and drying each coat before the application of the next at a temperature below the boiling point of the dispersion. I

9. A method of producing anextremelythin impervious rubber film which comprises spraying a plurality of more than 10 coats of a latex dis persion having a solids content between 10 and 25% upon a smooth surface from which the film may subsequently be readily stripped, regulating the quantity of rubber applied in each coat between .3 and 3 grams per square yard depending upon the thickness of the film desired and the number of coats employed, adjusting the spray to provide droplets sufiiciently small to prevent running as they strike the smooth surface, causing the spray to pass through a distance of between 11 and 15 inches before reaching the surface, and drying each coat before the application of the next at a temperature between and F.

MARC ALFRED CHAVANNES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name Re. 22,290 Teague et al Mar. 16, 1943 1,812,279 AXline June 30, 1931 1,946,090 McGavack 1 Feb. 6, 1934 1,949,159 'Glidden Feb. 27, 1939 1,969,101 Semon Aug. 7, 1934 2,055,002 Chandler Sept. 22, 1936 2,120,720 Spanel June 14, 1938 2,161,454 Calvert June 6, 1939 2,235,682 Hawley Mar. 18, 1941 2,289,151 Teague July 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 229,404 Great Britain Feb. 23, 1925 542,204 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1941 

